Sixmilebridge club delegate Christy Murray has strongly refuted claims that the club are “in disarray” and re-emphasised the club’s support for Clare GAA secretary Pat Fitzgerald and Wexford hurling manager Davy Fitzgerald.
It comes after reports that the decision by the back to back senior hurling champions to pen a letter for The Clare Champion offering support to the Fitzgerald’s in the face of alleged online abuse led to divisions within the club.
It is believed that the club initially voted against the move, with an unnamed club member telling The Sunday Independent that it was opposed because “it is absolutely none of our business”, and that the club had now effectively been split into pro-Fitzgerald and anti-Fitzgerald camps.
The letter to The Clare Champion was published the day before Davy Fitzgerald appeared on the Late Late Show to discuss the alleged online abuse.
It was also reported that Sixmilebridge GAA Club had opted to oppose the proposal of the new five year strategic review committee for Clare GAA at the February meeting of delegates, but Sixmilebridge delegate, Christy Murray, spoke in favour of the motion on the night.
Speaking at this week’s meeting, Murray hit out at the media reports and challenged all comers who wished to bring the Canon Hamilon away from O’Garney Park.
“The media have a license to do what they like. The Bridge is not in disarray and if anyone wants to stop us winning three in a row they will have to train harder than us. The other thing is, I want to say, Sixmilebridge are 100% behind the Fitz’s. Pat Fitz has done untold work for Clare and you have never met anyone as passionate as Davy Fitz in hurling. I’d say he sleeps with the hurley and ball. I just want to say that from the Bridge club. We are a big club and a lot of people maintain that we are in disarray, I can assure you we are not. If anyone wants to take that cup, they will have to go and beat us” he said.
A native of Ennis, Colin McGann has been editor of The Clare Champion since August 2020. Former editor of The Clare People, he is a journalism and communications graduate of Dublin Institute of Technology.